Tastytrade review 2024: Pro-grade options trading
- Stock trade fee
- $0
- Minimum deposit
- $0
Our verdict
Tastytrade is a professional-grade platform designed for options and futures traders.
Tastytrade offers a professional-grade derivatives trading platform, with a capped options fee structure, advanced risk-analysis tools and a variety of derivatives products. Tastytrade's stock and ETF options are $1 to open and $0 to close. Compare that to 65 cents on each side with most other brokers. Its trading tools are robust, making it a stand out options trading platform. Meanwhile, Tastytrade is highly regarded for its extensive and high-quality educational content, including daily live shows, webinars, tutorials and articles. This robust educational ecosystem is particularly beneficial for new traders and those looking to deepen their knowledge of options trading. But being an option-focused platform, you won't find a robo-advisor.
Best for: Experienced stock, options and futures traders.
Pros
-
Competitive options fee structure
-
Highly customizable trading platform
-
Crypto trading
-
Helpful educational resources and live programming
Cons
-
Trading platform may be complex for beginners
-
No robo-advisor
-
No cash sweep program
Tastytrade at a glance
Feature | Rating | Details |
---|---|---|
Investment options | ★★★★★ |
|
Trading costs | ★★★★★ | Zero commission stock, option and ETF trades, with average margin rates and $1 or less in total stock and ETF option contract fees. |
Account fees | ★★★★★ | No annual fee, no inactivity fee and a $75 outgoing ACATS fee. |
Account types and minimums | ★★★★★ |
|
Trading platforms and technology | ★★★★★ |
|
Features and amenities | ★★★★★ |
|
Customer support | ★★★★★ | Contact Tastytrade by phone or live chat but only during regular market hours. |
Mobile app | ★★★★★ | Google Play app reviews: 4.8/5 stars based on over 2,510 reviews Apple App Store app reviews: 4.8/5 stars based on over 12,280 reviews |
Cash sweep rates | ★★★★★ | Doesn’t offer a cash sweep program. |
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read our methodology.
Tastytrade is best for options and futures traders
With platform tools and features specifically aimed at derivatives trading to help evaluate volatility, risk and profit, the platform is best suited for:
- Options traders. Leverage a competitive fee structure and a myriad of trading tools, including curve analysis and quick roll features.
- Futures traders. Standard, mini and micro futures are available alongside tools designed to help assess your delta exposure.
What we like about Tastytrade
Built primarily for options and futures trading, Tastytrade has some of the best pricing on options and futures contracts in the industry. Its fee for stock and ETF options is $1 to open and $0 to close. Most brokers charge $0.65 to open and $0.65 to close, for a total of $1.30.
Tastytrade’s desktop platform offers so much data and so many tools that it’s easy to get lost in the beginning. But we found the Tastytrade tutorial collection and Tastytrade programming to be incredibly helpful for familiarizing ourselves with the platform.
Importantly, the platform is highly customizable. We also didn’t notice much lag when toggling through the different tabs and sections. It feels like what you’d expect a professional-grade options and futures trading platform to be.
Here are some of the tools you can use to trade with on Tastytrade:
- Watchlists
- Advanced charts
- Curve analysis
- Quick roll feature
- Quick order feature
- In-app video programming
- Follow feed
The web and mobile platforms are slightly powered-down, and perhaps a little more user-friendly, compared to the desktop app.
Where Tastytrade falls short
It is possible to buy stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Tastytrade, but it’s an options trading platform first and foremost. Everyday investors looking for a user-friendly platform with simple click-to-invest options will likely be better off looking elsewhere. Options and futures traders, maybe not.
A couple other shortcomings for beginners are Tastytrade’s lack of a robo-advisor and a cash sweep program for customers to earn interest on uninvested cash.
Tastytrade’s fees
Type of fee | Fee details |
---|---|
Account minimum | $0 |
Stock and ETF trade fees | $0 |
Option on stocks and ETFs trade fees ($10 max per leg) | per contract to open, $1 to close |
Options on futures trade fees | per contract to open, $1.50 to close |
Options on micro futures trade fees | $1.50 per contract to open, $0 to close |
Future trade fees | $1.25/contract to open, $1.25 to close |
Micro futures trade fees | $0.85 per contract to open, $0.85 to close |
Smalls futures trade fees | $0.85 per contract to open, $0.85 to close |
Cryptocurrency trade fees | 1% of total crypto purchase and sale up to $10 max |
ACH deposits and withdrawals | $0 |
Account transfer fee | $75 |
Is Tastytrade legit?
Yes, Tastytrade is a legitimate brokerage. The company is registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and was approved as a broker-dealer by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in 2016.
Before Tastytrade, CEOs Scott Sheridan and Tom Sosnoff cofounded the popular trading platform Thinkorswim. Tastytrade launched to the general public in 2017.
The Tastytrade platform is considered safe and secure. It uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) v1.2, with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 data encryption to encrypt data. Tastytrade also uses real-time monitoring systems to protect customer data and regularly assesses, audits and fortifies its systems and code. Two-factor authentication is available for additional account security.
Customer experience
Tastytrade garners a generally positive customer sentiment across Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Reddit, although there are areas for improvement.
On Trustpilot, reviews are mostly favorable, with customers particularly appreciating the platform’s educational content and easy-to-use interface tailored for active traders, especially those interested in options trading. However, there are occasional criticisms related to technical glitches and customer service response times. Tastytrade earns a 4.4 out of five stars based on over 440 reviews on Trustpilot, as of May 2024.
The BBB reflects a different trend with Tastytrade. Though it holds an “A+” rating, indicating a high level of trustworthiness and responsiveness to complaints, Tastytrade isn’t BBB accredited. Some users have lodged complaints relating to account management and transactional issues, but these appear to be less frequent. Tastytrade holds a 2.4 out of five stars based on only five reviews, as of May 2024.
Reddit discussions generally echo these sentiments, with many users praising the platform’s robust educational materials and trade execution capabilities. Nevertheless, some posts highlight frustrations with mobile app performance and sporadic customer support issues. Overall, Tastytrade enjoys a strong reputation for its educational resources and user-friendly platform, though it faces occasional criticisms regarding technical and customer service aspects.
Compare Tastytrade to other platforms
Tastytrade
★★★★★
Finder rating 4.4 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Treasury Bills
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get $50-$5,000
SoFi Invest®
★★★★★
Finder rating 4.2 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Alternatives
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get up to $1,000 in stock
OPTO
★★★★★
Finder rating 3.1 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, ETFs
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Earn up to $300
Frequently asked questions
Tastytrade vs. Robinhood: Which is better?
This really comes down to the type of trading experience you want. Tastytrade offers more research and technical analysis tools, albeit at a higher cost, while Robinhood offers a simpler options trading experience with zero commission.
Is my money safe with Tastytrade?
Yes. Your money is considered safe with Tastytrade as it employs a range of security measures to protect account holders. And as an SIPC member, customers’ money is protected up to $500,000, which includes up to $250,000 for cash, should Tastytrade run into financial trouble.
How much does it cost to open a Tastytrade account?
There’s no cost to open an account with Tastytrade. However, you can’t trade until you deposit funds and there’s a $2,000 account balance minimum to open a margin account.
Does Tastytrade allow day trading?
Tastytrade keeps track of your day trades and displays a counter at the top of its platform. Customers with margin accounts will be flagged as pattern day traders if they perform more than three-day trades in a rolling five business-day period.
How long does it take to withdraw money from Tastytrade?
This depends on the withdrawal method you choose. Withdrawals to connected bank accounts by ACH take between one to three business days to clear, while wire transfers can land in your account the next business day depending on when you submitted the request. Withdrawals by check can take upwards of five to 10 business days to receive.
How we rate trading platforms
★★★★★ 5/5 — Excellent
★★★★★ 4/5 — Good
★★★★★ 3/5 — Average
★★★★★ 2/5 — Subpar
★★★★★ 1/5 — Poor
For a complete breakdown of how we score each category, read the full methodology of how we rate trading platforms.
Your reviews
Matt Finder
Editor, Investments
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